


Dark Horse and Silver Lining

by WaterHorseyBlues



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horse Racing, Biblical References, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Equestrian, Half the cast are horses, Horse Jokes, Horse Politics, Horse Racing, Horses, Implied Relationships, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Romantic Friendship, Sabotage, This writer cares about Lizzy, horse romance..?, mild romantic tenson between ciel and lizzy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaterHorseyBlues/pseuds/WaterHorseyBlues
Summary: The Phantomhive Riding School is struggling for business, but Ciel has a plan. But only if he can convince Sebastian, an untamed but extremely fast horse, to let him be his jockey. However, even though Lizzy is also in the race, competition grows tougher as the rest of the jockeys make themselves known.
Kudos: 16





	1. The Phantomhive Riding School

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the fanfic where there's a 50% chance your fav character is a horse!

The Phantomhive Riding School was worse for wear than Ciel had expected. Yes, many parts of the estate had ended up neglected since his parents had tragically passed away in the fire, but of all the things he'd thought could have kept itself going it was the fully staffed, fully stabled, self-funding riding classes. However, when the letter arrived requesting he take a look and make a decision, he realised this was all entirely the opposite.

The riding school was closer to the city to draw in customers, but far enough away to have a sizeable course and fields for the horses to roam in. The welcoming sign had been so freshly painted that droplets of red paint from the rose trim pattern were still rolling down over the family name like something from a horror story. Ciel felt his stomach sink.

“Tanaka,” he began nervously, watching the stables as the carriage approached, “truthfully, how bad is the situation here?”

“Ho,” his butler replied, voice gentle and frail in his age, “that may be better asked of the Lady Midford.”

Ciel nodded and they fell back into a stiff silence until the carriage stopped. The driver opened the door and he stepped out, decorated heeled boot landing on a muddy path carpeted in shreds of hay. There was a very present smell of horse manure in the air and the sweaty, musky stench of live animals. Tanaka stepped out beside him, brushing his tailcoats down. The driver passed the lugged over and Tanaka took them into his arms, carrying the cases comfortably. With a final bow, the driver climbed back up and the carriage pulled away as the horses lead it back out of the riding school, leaving the two on the grounds.

Before them stood what Ciel at first assumed to be a performance act, but with a horrible sense of dread realised were the staff. To slam injury into insult, he was immediately approached by the Lady Midford.

“You made it on one piece I see. Good. You'll need a lot more backbone to sort this out.”

“Lovely to see you too,” Ciel replied dryly. He'd always thought the woman was far too stern and abrasive, but he had to respect that she kept her attitude even when the world was sinking around her. She had a head for surviving in a world built against her.

“Ciel, it's been forever!” Lizzy hurried over and grabbed Ciel'd hands, squeezing and she beamed “I'll introduce you to everyone!”

“Lizzy-” He was cut off from formulating some sort of reply before he was tugged over to the mismatched line-up of staff.

“This is Baldroy!” She began, gesturing towards a tall, rough-looking man with a cigarette clenched between his teeth. “He's the house chef but he's also been doing a lot of repairs for us as well.”

Baldroy grinned and gave them both a thumbs up.

“This is Mey Rin, the housemaid. But she's usually popular with students so she'll welcome them and help fit helmets,” Lizzy continued, gesturing to the bespectacled, red-headed woman beside Bard.

“Pleasure to meet you.” Mey Rin bowed and had to quickly catch her glasses before they slid off.

“This is our youngest employee, Finnian, he cares for the horses and manages the grounds. He's really good with animals!” She gestured to a boy no older than the two of them, wearing a straw hat and work-worn clothes.

“All the horses are in their best condition!” Finnian told Ciel proudly, hands on his hips.

“And this is Snake, he keeps the place clean.” Lizzy finished the line-up by gesturing to a man who, despite being young, had silvery-white hair and some sort of skin condition that caused a scaled texture on his face.

Snake gave Ciel a cool, level look, but said nothing.

Lizzy laughed nervously. “Well, that's us!”

Ciel leaned in. “Snake? What sort of name is that?” he whispered.

“Look, I know they all seem a bit strange, but trust me, they're really good people!” Lizzy reassured, smiling.

“Are they good workers?” He asked.

“Uhm.” She looked away. “Ah, you've come on a really long journey! How about we all have a cup of tea inside? Mother, you have a lot to tell Ciel, so we should all sit in the conservatory! Mey Rin, come along, we'll have one of the really fancy teas we imported a while ago!” She changed the topic as fast as she could fix her smiles. “Everyone else, you can return to your duties. Remember to show Master Phantomhive how well we run this place!”

“Yes, ma'am!” The line-up chanted as one, all saluting.

Ciel was struggling not to think this was, in fact, all a strange act.

With all the grace and elegance of a young woman perfecting her damage control, Lizzy led them all towards the house.

The Midfords had lived at the Phantomhive Riding school for generations, breeding horses and handling the business. Lizzy was the next in line to inherit, her passion for the tender creatures as clear as day on her sleeve. Ciel glanced at the stern figure of her mother, Francis Midford, and had a hard time imagining the charming, cheerful girl being raised by her.

They entered the Midford House, a charming country home with rows of flowers on the windows and a pair of large, lazy cats dozing by the door. The inside was exactly as anyone would imagine: polished wood furniture, comfortable seats, horseshoes and oil paints hanging from the wall, a row of riding shoes in the hall, a flight of wooden stairs that had sloped over the years and the smell of bread cooking hanging in the air. Ciel remembered being very small and trying to climb up one of the handsome drawers to reach a horseshoe as Lizzy fearfully kept an eye out for their parents. It hadn't gone down well.

Lizzy lead them all into the glass conservatory, filled with lush potted plants. Though an average spring day outside, it was a summery warmth in the glass that encouraged him to shed his jacket. The large fruits hanging from the plants filled the room with a sweet, zesty scent that gave the impression of being abroad. He settled onto one of the brightly painted, cushioned benches beside Lizzy where a nearby window had been cracked open just enough to let in a gentle breeze on their faces. Francis Midford sat on an opposite bench, while Tanaka perched himself on a stool.

“You're aware this is more than just a little tea party,” Francis began, voice firm, “The business is going under. We've had no consistent pupils in over a year. The introductory classes we offer for birthdays or events stay at introduction only and have failed to bring in any long-term pupils. Even those have become few and far between. The riding school can't stay open for much longer.”

“Mother, we can't be so negative. It's not a totally lost cause,” Lizzy said, attempting to reason.

“No point sugar-coating it. The Master needs to hear the facts. Hard as they may be.”

At this point, Mey Rin came in, pushing a serving cart laden with a large, handsome teapot, a stack of teacups, a plate of biscuits, a little cake stand of sandwiches and treats, a small milk jug and a jar of sugar. She pulled over a little table in between all the seats and began to lay everything out. Her hands shook, making everything rattle. As she poured the tea the stream fell out of the rim of the cup and splashed puddles all over the table. Her lip quivered.

“Mey Rin,” Lizzy said gently, “Breathe. You don't have to rush.”

The maid nodded and let out a breath. She paused for a moment gathering herself, then was able to successfully fill the rest of the cups. She set the teapot down and bowed. “Please call if you need anything,” she said, voice wobbly with nerves, then backed out with the serving cart.

“What's wrong with your maid?” Ciel asked.

“We're not sure,” Lizzy replied, voice low, “but we think she used to be involved with gangs in the city.”

“What!?”

“She just appeared one night, about a year or so ago, and begged to stay. She said she'd work for it. The poor thing was so afraid that we let her in right away. She's been here ever since. She's a little jumpy, but she does her best.”

Ciel rubbed his temples. “You can't just allow anyone in simply because-”

“Our maid is not your concern right now, Master Phantomhive,” Francis cut in. “You have to decide what is to be done with the riding school, and it will have to be soon.”

“How soon?” He asked, eyes narrowed.

“By the end of the month. There is a race that Elizabeth will be racing in, using one of our horses. I intend it to advertise my breeding expertise and stock to wealthy riders. Should anyone offer good money to have us breed for them, I intend to take it.” She punctuated this final statement with a cross of her arms.

Ciel thought carefully as he drank his tea. The Midfords had been in business with the Phantomhives for a long time. Losing their business would cut a lot of opportunities for him. Were any of his rivals to have her on their side, it could put any of the estates out of business. But he could see her point of view.

“Okay then,” he said after a long quiet pause. In that case, I shall enter the race myself.”

“Huh?” Lizzy's exclamation was the loudest, though the sentiment shared by both Tanaka and her mother.

“You're using it as a marketing strategy, right? Then so shall I. If I can restore some fame and achievement to the school, then it would attract people away from rival businesses. Am I correct?”

Francis sipped her tea as she formed a response. “You may be correct, but you have no training nor horse to ride.”

“That's where you come in, Lady Midford.”

She huffed. “And why should I come in? You'll be racing against my daughter, who, by the way, is an excellent jockey. You don't stand a chance against her.”

“I don't doubt that for a minute,” he agreed, “but if you're to train and supply me with a horse, you'll have two racers advertising your business than just one. I see no reason why we can't secure both the first and second position. And,” he reached out to pick up a biscuit, “if I am to win, it should be enough to prove that you are capable of guaranteeing prize-winning riders. That sounds like something wealthy parents would happily invest in.” He smirked.

She considered his words. “A challenge. All right. I'll take you on. But,” she fixed him with a stern look, “you must not fail me.”

“I won't.” He smiled, bright and friendly in the way he knew she hated.

“Hurray! We'll both be racing! Ooh, maybe we can train together!” Lizzy threw her arms around one of Ciel's in delight. “This is going to be so exciting!”

Once lunch was over, Lizzy dragged Ciel after her to visit the horses so he could pick one to ride. To his dismay, the options weren't ideal. None of the horses had been involved in any sort of race training in years, most only running for their own enjoyment. Their careers had been entirely walking the same circle for events, and despite excellent breeding, they had grown lazy and out of shape.

The only horse Ciel saw in any of the stables that really looked capable, turned out to be Paula, Lizzy's horse. It was a friendly chestnut brown mare that nibbled softly on Lizzy's sleeve and huffed in Ciel's face. He was starting to lose confidence in his plan.

“Is this really all there is?” He asked, now stood beside a shaggy pony that was trying to stick its nose into his pockets.

“Uhm. No,” she replied carefully, “there is another horse...”

“Show it to me, it can't be worse than this.” He pushed the muzzle away.

“Okay, but it's a lost cause.” She gestured him to follow her then marched them out into the fields.

They walked a distance in the swaying grass, long enough that Ciel was starting to think they'd get lost. Then Lizzy stopped and pointed.

“He's just there.”

He followed her finger to see a stallion grazing. It was unlike the other horses at the stables, who were all shades of brown and gold with fluffy manes. This was black, sleek and lean with strong muscles. Unlike the other horses that did their circles and slept in the sun, this one had kept itself in shape.

“That's Sebastian,” Lizzy explained. “He might as well be a wild horse. He won't let anyone mount him, and bucks at anyone who comes close.”

“No one's broken that horse?”

“No one can get close.”

Ciel hummed. “Then why hasn't your mother disposed of it?”

Lizzy made a face that expressed her distaste for the practice. “She thinks she'll be able to trick someone into buying him. He's a handsome horse if you don't get close.”

“I'm going to get a better look.” Ciel took off towards the horse, marching across the grass. He heard Lizzy call his name but chose to ignore it. It wasn't as though he planned to go right up to the horse.

Sebastian did not like this. As soon as Ciel came into view, the stallion reared up and began kicking his legs out. Ciel stopped, nervous about getting closer, but it did not deter the angry beast. With a burst of speed, Sebastian charged at him, knocking Ciel to the ground, then rounded behind Lizzy and sprinted off into a further field.

“Ciel!” Lizzy came running over, hiking her skirts up. She crouched down at his side. “Ciel, are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” he assured her, gratefully accepting her help as he stood. “That horse...”

“He's a menace. Not fit at all for a racehorse.” She began brushing Ciel's clothes down.

“He's fast.”

“He's untamed.”

“Well, we'll have to see.”

She furrowed her brows but decided to drop it. “Come on, let's get back. You need to rest and make sure you're okay. Maybe mother can help a bit.”

They hobbled back to the house where Ciel was quickly seen to be Tanaka and provided another cup of shakily made tea by Mey Rin.

“Sebastian is a lost cause,” Francis insisted, “I have better steeds.”

“He's very fast.”

“He's very dangerous. You leave that horse alone, Master Phantomhive. For your own good.”

He tutted in response. “Well, perhaps we are overstaying a little anyway. I'll find somewhere to dine and sleep, then return in the morning.”

“Don't be so ridiculous,” Francis scoffed, “You'll be dining and sleeping here, we've prepared you a bedroom.”

“Pardon?” Ciel blinked. “Prepared? I was under the impression that I would find residence at a nearby inn.”

“Don't be so foolish. We have space for you here. How are you to assess your own business if you're staying off-site? No, it's much better you stay here and observe.”

“Really. You do think of everything.” He sighed. “But I will be here for some time.”

“Long enough to become a prize winner, I expect.”

He smirked. “I should expect so.”

“Good. Now I shall hear no more of it. We're out of business hours.”

Ciel was about to reply that he operated on an all-day business but was interrupted by a loud bang that echoed through the house. He jumped up to his feet, alarmed. “What was that?”

“Baldroy cooking,” Francis replied.

“What?”

“He's a little unorthodox, but I promise the food is good,” Lizzy reassured.

“What possible thing could he be doing to cook food like that?” Ciel shakily sat back down.

“He used to be a soldier. I suppose he developed some specific techniques.” Her smile was apologetic.

“How are you living with this weird staff?” He asked.

“You think I'd let my staff be sub-par?” Francis asked, or rather, threatened.

“They've both improved really quickly since coming here! This is the first thing he's exploded in over a week. Trust me, you won't even notice anything strange with the food.” Lizzy reassured.

“Somehow not noticing is the scariest part...”

Despite his concerns, the dinner was fine – though the smoked fish definitely hadn't been smoked in a way he was used to. Even May Rin's shaking had subsided as she helped Baldroy lay the food out. The evening continued as though Ciel were simply visiting for a comfortable stay. As the hours shrank and the night grew, he eventually retired to the guest bedroom.

It was smaller than his own bedroom, by a significant amount. The bed was less luxurious and the mattress slightly too firm. The floorboards were creaky and the animal fur rug a little scratchy. The curtains covered the windows, but a sliver of moonlight shone over the top. He stared at the ceiling, burdened with thoughts.

By the next morning, Ciel had made his decision. He ate his cooked eggs, which Baldroy had prepared in the blink of an eye, and knocked back his tea, which Mey Rin had managed not to spill too much, and headed out with good boots on and a riding jacket. He grabbed a saddle and yanked a helmet on, then marched his way out into the field.

Several horses were grazing or licking the morning dew away. They raised their heads to watch him, parting the way as he stamped through. A few nervously trotted further afield, putting distance between them.

Sebastian lounged beneath a tree, tail swishing.

Ciel didn't break his stride and went right up to the horse with the saddle raised.

Sensing danger, Sebastian rolled and pushed himself to stand. He gave Ciel a brief glare, then shot off like a bullet across the field.

“Come back here!” Ciel chased after the stallion, nowhere near as fast, but determined.

Back at the stables, Snake and Finnian paused their work to wander up to the fence and lean against it, watching the young master chase the black horse in circles around the fields. They were soon joined by Mey Rin and Baldroy.

“Does he really think he's gonna get on that horse?” Finnian asked.

“He's a strange character alright,” Baldroy replied, “but I like his style.”

They watched as Ciel eventually ran himself to exhaustion, collapsing onto the grass.

“I'll go get Lady Elizabeth to rescue him,” May Rin said, excusing herself back into the house.

In the field, Ciel struggled to breathe through strained lungs. The clouds sailed overhead, slow and gentle. Sebastian had disappeared far out of sight, but definitely not out of Ciel's plans.

He'd break that horse and win that race, even if he sacrificed ever scrap of dignity he had to do so!


	2. An Unexpected Guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The venn diagram of Black Butler fans and horse girls is a circle.

Mey Rin carefully poured out a measure of cool, home-brewed elderflower cordial into one of the finely cut glass cups, then diluted with a larger measure of water. The floral pattern sparkled in the sunlight as she lifted the silver tray and carried it from the cool pantry past the kitchen. She glanced in to see how Baldroy was getting on with lunch preparations and found the room empty of any chef. Deciding he was probably taking a quick cigarette break, she continued on her path to the doorway.

Miss Lizzy often finished her circuits at this time, so she would be needing a refreshment.

She stepped out and crossed the little garden out towards the stables. She expected to see Snake brushing the horses or Finny tossing down clean straw, but there was no sign of them. A mare made a disgruntled noise at her, the rope looped around its neck still tied to the post where it waited to have its mane untangled.

Paula at least had not been abandoned in her stable, which reassured Mey Rin that at least one thing wasn't out of place. Perhaps something unexpected had happened and the men had all rushed off to deal with it. She hoped no one was hurt.

She continued her way around the stables to the fields where she expected to meet Lizzy. As she rounded the corner towards the gate, however, she instead spotted the very three men who had disappeared from their posts. Baldroy was leaning over the fence, brow furrowed and cigarette nearly burned down to the end, Snake stood stiff and silent at his side. Finny had hopped up to look further along the field, eyes wide and mouth open. Mey Rin followed their gaze.

Ciel, in full riding gear, was chasing Sebastian around in circles. Being much faster and larger, Sebastian was only trotting just out of Ciel's grasp every time the teenager reached for him. The grass around them had been flattened by the rings Sebastian and Ciel kept running in, already turning brown. Ciel had large grass and mud stains all over him from falling over so often.

Mey Rin watched him throw himself with impressive determination at Sebastian's neck, arms outstretched to hold on, only to miss entirely when the horse reared back and out the way. Ciel hit the ground face-first and lay flat in the dirt.

“Mey Rin...”

The maid jumped in surprise. Her tray tilted down and the glass slid neatly off and hit the floor, spraying cordial everywhere. “Miss Lizzy!” She cried, startled by the sudden appearance of the young girl. “Oh no, your drink!” She crouched and hurried to pick the glass up. One side had been broken clean off, but thankfully no shards were left anywhere.

Lizzy hadn't even noticed, her eyes locked on where Ciel was pulling himself up. By now, Sebastian had trotted off far out of reach, tail swishing in irritation. “He really...” She began, expression pained, “isn't very good, is he?”

Mey Rin looked over to see Ciel fall over again. “No, miss.” She straightened up, broken glass on the tray. “Did your circuits go well?”

“No, there was too much chaos, and it upset Paula. I thought perhaps I should ride at a... Quieter hour.”

Mey Rin nodded, embarrassed on her lady's behalf. “I'll prepare for that then.”

“Um, I think Master Phantomhive might be a tad injured,” Finny called, pointing at Ciel's deflated figure.

“He's hurt?” Lizzy immediately tensed in panic, making Paula huff nervously. “Oh no! We need to help him!”

“I'll get him. You settle yourselves down.” Baldroy threw a leg over the fence and began to jog his way across the grass.

“What if he's really badly injured? What if he'll be unable to ride?” Lizzy fretted.

“Miss, I think he's only bruised and worn,” Finny reassured.

“I'm sure he'll recover quickly,” Mey Rin added.

“He had better,” came Francis' stern voice.

“Mother!” Lizzy cried in sync with the staff saying, “Madam!”

“I've just received a message. We're expecting company. You and Ciel will need to be presentable, no jodhpurs or helmet hair.” She looked over at Baldroy, carrying the very disgruntled teenage boy back across the field. “He'll need a scrubbing up, no doubt.” She paused, then turned to the remaining staff. “Well? Get back to your stations! I can't have unbrushed horses and filthy floors while a guest is visiting!”

“Yes ma'am!”

Mey Rin, Finny and Snake all hurried off. With a gesture of Francis' head, Baldroy carried the now humiliated Ciel back to the house, Lizzy at his tail franticly checking that he hadn't broken anything. Under Francis' watchful eye, the stables were pulled together and the teenagers dressed and groomed to decency.

The three of them waited at the door of the house, watching the grand carriage pull into the grounds. Ciel had been scrubbed clean and hair pulled back from his face. His eye-patch was having grass stains scrubbed out of it, so in its place Lizzy had tied a large ribbon around his head to match the ones in her hair. He'd felt silly at first, but the appearance of the carriage made him feel much less like a sore thumb.

The red wood stood out against the earthy toned surroundings, the vibrant jade green decoration somehow greener than the fields. The horses were dressed to the nines with their manes tied back and bound in silks, tails wrapped and tassels dangling around their necks. It stopped with a jingle and the driver hurried around to open the door. Out stepped two people: a tall man and a younger woman, both in delicate Chinese dress.

“Lau,” Ciel greeted dryly, “even on an unofficial visit you still make a scene.”

“Master Phantomhive,” Lau replied, smiling, “why, is it our fault that the English think us a scene?”

“Good to see you and young Ran Mao made it safely,” Francis said, giving Ciel a quick threatening glance, “come inside, we've prepared a light lunch. I expect you'll be staying for dinner?”

“Such kind hospitality, how could we turn it down?” Lau bowed as he approached, looking smug.

Ran Mao followed quietly at his side, bowing deeper when he did. Ciel had met her several times, always at Lau's side when their families met to discuss business or anything else he hadn't originally taken much interest in. As usual, she didn't say a word, and barely acknowledged him once greetings were over.

Francis led them all into the parlour where Mey Rin had placed several display stands of tiny sandwiches, finger pastries, scones and jams. She was nervously pouring out tea into five teacups, still rattled by the morning's broken glass. Her hand shook and tea dripped out onto the saucers. Lizzy hurried over and gently put a hand on her wrist, whispering. Mey Rin finished pouring the tea out, then politely let herself out of the room.

“Take a seat, make yourself comfortable.” Francis settled down into one of the comfortable armchairs, Lizzy quickly following suit. Ciel lowered himself, wincing when he put his weight onto a bruise. Lau sat himself down as well, but instead of Ran Mao taking the available seat she perched herself on one of Lao's arm rests, one elbow on his shoulder to support her. Francis' jaw clenched.

“What brings you out to Midford House?” Ciel asked, picking his drink up. Spilt tea dripped onto his lap and he tried to rub it dry with his sleeve.

“Can't I simply want the company of my favourite little Phantomhive? Ah...” Lau wiped his teacup with a provided napkin before bringing it to his lips. “Perhaps a sore phrase to use.” He drank.

Ciel's mouth tightened.

“If I'm speaking frankly, I wished to see how your riding school was holding up? News spread that your business is... Stagnant.” He looked at Ciel with a quiet gaze that betrayed no intentions.

“And that's of interest to you?”

Lau delicately took a tiny sandwich off the stand and handed it to Ran Mao, who ate it behind a hand. “We're in no direct competition. Your father and I collaborated before and even hunted together. It is natural I would like to investigate the rumours for myself.” He took a small pastry and bit into it, munching happily away. “Besides, Ran Mao will be riding in the upcoming race and we were hoping for a little extra tutoring.”

“Quite unlikely,” Francis scoffed, “I have no intention of improving the chances of a rival against my own daughter.”

“Ah. So the young Lady Elizabeth will also be racing?” Lau's gaze shifted to her, eyes keen.

“Yes, I will be representing the Midford business.” She smiled brightly at Lau, then looked at Ran Mao. “Miss Ran Mao, you're also going to enter? It will be fun racing against you. Maybe we should ride together some time.”

Ran Mao watched her cooly for a moment, then nodded.

“So you're after the prize money as well?” Ciel asked.

“Hm. Often times, competition is not always about the prize, but just to be seen to compete.” Lau gave Ciel a lazy grin.

“So marketing. As Lizzy will be doing for Midford,” he clarified.

“If you like. But,” he held Ciel with a look charged with the underlying power of a successful businessman. “Do not take us so lightly, Master Phantomhive. Kong-Rong may specialise in dressage, but do not take our racers lightly.”

“I didn't intend to.” Ciel's lip curled. “After all, I will be racing as well, so it is good to know my opponents.”

“Ah, so you're entering as well?” Lau seemed pleased with this. “I wasn't aware you had yourself a racing horse.”

“Ah... Well...” He leaned back in his chair. “That is... Being arranged.”

“Horse or no horse, he'll be trained under my guidance,” Francis chimed in. “And so there is no doubt he will do well.”

“I hope so, Lady Midford. I expect both to be an adequate challenge for my Ran Mao.” He huffed a laugh and waved his hand. “But let's not be concerned about opponents and what-not just yet. Today I come for the leisure of good company. This is nothing serious or official. So let us just enjoy your wonderful food.”

“Right. After all, we've prepared enough. Mey Rin!”

The maid appeared at Lady Midford's call. “Yes, ma'am?”

“More tea. Don't spill it this time.”

Mey Rin bowed and took the teapot, then backed out. “Of course, ma'am.”

“Mother,” Lizzy whispered, “you must be more gentle with her.”

“She can handle it. I cannot handle a poor maid.” Francis sniffed indignantly and drained her cup.

A small fire broke out in the kitchen, only noticed when the smell of smoke entered the parlour. Mey Rin opened the windows and closed the door, apologising for the inconvenience. Ciel could hear the chaos of the rest of the staff intervening to put it out. However, by the time they were seated at the large wooden dining table, the smoke smell had passed and only some of the food that had been laid out appeared burned. Much of it had, however, absorbed a slight smoky taste. The addition of gravy and sauce was much encouraged.

“I've been making some enquiries about other competitors,” Lau said conversationally. “Seems this race has attracted some very high-end talent.”

“How high-end?” Francis asked, eyes narrowed. “Or do you simply mean well-sponsored?”

“Perhaps both.” Lau grinned. “How should a categorise a foreign prince, hm?”

“A prince?” Lizzy sat up straight, eyes wide. “Competing in the race? Oh wow...” She got a far away look on her face, lost in a dream world.

“Royalty doesn't mean he has any skill,” Ciel pointed out, a little reproachful.

“Oh, of course.” Lizzy snapped out of her daze, cheeks a little pink with embarrassment.

“But if it is capability we should concern ourselves with, I've heard that Weston Equestrian Academy are entering a racer.”

Francis set her drink down hard enough for it to splash up. “Weston?”

Ciel's eyes widened. The Midford family had a history of working with Weston before the Phantomhives had moved in and gained the monopoly on her excellent breeding skills. The WEA had been a serious threat to other riding schools for some time now, having produced several grand champions in their time. It wasn't a school that relied on parties or riding events to make revenue.

“Seems like they intend to collect every trophy for their wall.” Lau's tone was decently light and playful, but everyone could pick up the danger beneath it.

“Well. They'll have to try a little harder than usual then.” Ciel lifted his fork and stabbed it into his meat. “Because we won't let them get even a step ahead of us.”

Lau huffed and his lips pulled into a wider smile. “Exactly what I like to hear from the young master.”

The sky had grown dark when Lau and Ran Mao set off to leave.

“A pleasure as always, Lady Midford, Lady Elizabeth, Master Phantomhive.” Lau bowed. “I may stop by again, depending on how busy we are with training.”

“If not, we will see you at the registration,” Ciel replied.

“Of course.” Lau bowed again.

Ran Mao turned her attention to Lizzy. “Train hard. I would like a good race,” she said.

Lizzy blinked in surprise, then grinned. “I will! I'm not going to go easy on you, even if we become best friends.”

“Hm? Picked your rival already?” Lau laughed. “Not the young master?”

“He has no chance against me,” Ran Mao replied.

Ciel coughed in indignation, too shocked to spit an insult back. Before he could form anything, Lau and Ran Mao had both climbed back into their carriage and were waving as it trundled away.

“You had better get very serious very fast,” Francis told Ciel sternly, “or you'll be left in the dust.”

Ciel swallowed.


	3. Official

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poetry of horses is realising you wasted your poetry on horses

Despite failure after failure, Ciel was not to be deterred. His body was covered in bruises and scrapes, every inch of him ached, and he may have taken a few too many knocks to the head, but he persisted nonetheless. Despite Lady Midford's irritated commands, the house staff couldn't help gathering to watch his ever failing antics.

That wasn't to say that there was no progress. Now, instead of running off when Ciel grabbed at him Sebastian instead stood one step away and continually kept only just outside of the boy's reach. When Ciel was flat out on the ground, too worn down to try again, Sebastian would sit as well and enjoy his success.

After a particularly long session of what was essentially a poor game of tag, Ciel sat in the shade of a tree while Sebastian grazed a few feet away. Most of the staff had gone back to work. Snake had just finished up grooming the horses and doing the general check-ups, and made his way across the field towards the boy and the horse. He set down a small wooden carrier, one half containing a metal bucket of clean water, the other with a chunky mix of grains and veggies chopped into it. Sebastian trotted over and immediately stuffed his muzzle into the feed, munching loudly. Ciel stared.

“How is it he comes right up to you? He won't let me near him!”

Snake gave Ciel a somewhat bemused expression, then gestured down to the food as though Ciel were a fool for asking.

“Is he so easily persuaded?”

Snake shook his head this time and reached a hand out. The moment his fingers got within an inch of Sebastian's dark mane the horse raised its head back up and grunted unhappily, taking a step back. Snake had to retreat a few paces, hands tucked out of sight, until Sebastian stopped stomping and swinging his head.

“Huh. So much for tough-horse,” Ciel scoffed.

Snake's lip twitched into a smile.

“But knowing he's mollified so easily by food, maybe there's something to this,” Ciel mused. “Sebastian runs from me because he knows I intend to break him. But comes to you because he understands you're feeding him.” A smirk crossed his face as a plan hatched in his mind.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sebastian cooled down enough and stepped back over to the crate. The horse shoved his muzzle into the water and drank with a loud _shlop, shlop, shlop, shlop!_ Ciel watched the beast with an exhausted expression. He really is a horse after all, he thought, not some pookah intent on humiliating him.

With Snake's patient help, Ciel limped his way back to the Midford house.

The next morning he rose at his usual early hour. Unlike previous mornings where his determination had come from a place of anger and frustration, this time he felt a dark confidence carry him out onto the grounds. He'd gone out previously armed with only bridle and reigns, but this time he also carried the saddle over one arm and a cloth pouch tucked into his jacket pocket.

Sebastian was there as always, waiting in the field for the day of dancing around an angry teenager. His ears twitched forwards curiously when Ciel, instead of going straight up to him, veered aside to sit down in the field. Sebastian watched him curiously, nervously waiting for the boy to spring up and chase after him. When it didn't happen, he stepped closer, curiously peering at what Ciel was doing.

Satisfied with having caught the horse off-guard, Ciel pulled the pouch from his pocket and opened it. Before he'd even got the contents out, Sebastian was trotting open, having smelled the goodies inside. With a smug expression, Ciel tipped a shiny, juicy red apple slice out into his palm and held it up.

Driven entirely by the food instinct, Sebastian approached all the way up to Ciel, ready to munch on the treats. Last second his caution instinct kicked in, and he took a step back. Eyeing the teenager suspiciously, he reached his head out, neck extended, mouth nibbling thin air as he attempted to take the apple without being close enough for Ciel to touch.

Though not considering himself a patient person, Ciel knew to play the waiting game well, especially when results were already showing. The moment Sebastian's mouth brushed his fingers, he pulled his hand closer to himself, forcing the horse to take a step closer. It was a long process of bringing his hand steadily in until horse's hoof met boy's shoes before Ciel let Sebastian take the slice. The horse hurried back a few paces and munched.

“Heh, how do you like the taste of the forbidden fruit?” He stood and brushed the dirt off his clothes. “That apple didn't come from your food stocks, it came directly from the Midford personal fruit bowl. You cant find a better, more delicious apple. This isn't something they would feed to a wild thing like you.”

Sebastian's tail swished in response, watching Ciel intently.

Being a Phantomhive, he was prone to dramatics. He opened the pouch wider, enough to show all the crisp, crunchy goodies within, and with the other hand raised the bridle. “You were weakened by temptation, and now poisoned by knowledge. So, what will it be?”

Sebastian paused, visibly leaning towards the fruits, but eyeing the straps warily.

“Will you hide from the fruit's truth, or leave your paddock of Eden to bravely face a new world?”

The apple slices glistened, and Sebastian bit. The deal was made.

Lizzy finished her circuits by lunch time and trotted back to the stables, feeling very satisfied with her progress. As they reached the fence, she noticed another horseback rider approaching and stopped. To her shock, it was none other than Ciel, saddled and triumphant on Sebastian!

“Ooh, well done!” She applauded him, smiling brightly. “I knew you could do it!” She lied.

“Heh, only took a change of attitude,” he told her, stroking his own ego for show.

“Have you got him running yet? How fast is he?” She asked, rather excited by the developments.

“Eh...” Ciel didn't meet her gaze. “You know how horses are. Baby steps. But we should be out and breaking records in no time, right Sebastian?” He reached down to give the horse's neck a fond slap.

Sebastian, in response, whinnied and reared back, thoroughly displeased with Ciel's attitude. With his rider off-guard, he completely unsaddled him and trotted away, ignoring that said rider was still holding the reins and being dragged along behind.

“Wait! Ciel, let go, you'll get hurt!” Lizzy dismounted as fas as she could and hurried over to the groaning boy. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” he grumbled back. His pride had been more injured than anything.

She fought back the laugh that bubbled up in her chest and had to swallow it back when it wobbled her lips. “Okay, good, let's get you back and we can have something sweet to celebrate with!”

She helped him up and pretended not to notice the way he winced as they walked back to the stables.

Finny was staring in awe when they arrived. He'd paused his sweeping to watch a saddled Sebastian drink from one of the troughs. When the other two arrived, he beamed at them. “You did it, Master Phantomhive! What a sight!”

“Well, what sort of Phantomhive would I be if I couldn't even do such a thing like tame a horse?” Ciel replied in a forced offhand manner. “Of course, Sebastian was always going to be my steed. Isn't that right”

Sebastian was, of course, just a horse and did not understand what was being said. But he was smart enough to recognise that Ciel had produced another apple slice, and immediately approached him to take one from his palm.

“Well I never.” Finny put his hands on his hips. “Like a dog to his master.”

The registration day came and they were all carted out to the racecourse office. Sebastian had been a nightmare to get into the horse box, but once inside was surprisingly quiet. Probably because of the apple he was munching away on. Ciel had only ever been to watch races with his parents, and wasn't entirely sure how registration even went. Lizzy, to his relief, seemed equally uncertain and nervous, as it was her first race as well. Francis, of course, was seasoned in the horse riding business, and had no such worries.

It all ended up being pretty simple. They arrived and were brought to a large room where they could tie their horses to be checked by the officials. Lizzy and Ciel were not the first to arrive, and pretty quickly the room filled with riders, horses, and their tutors. If Ciel had thought the Midford staff were a circus, this was a whole carnival. Even the horses seemed larger than life.

Just as Ciel thought this, the horse beside Sebastian immediately shuffled in close and began to huff into his muzzle. Sebastian swung his head away, refusing to be friendly with this flirtatious mare.

“Grell! Please behave!” The rider hurried over, pulling the reigns of the extremely determined red chestnut. “Ugh, I'm so sorry. Grell is always a nightmare.”

“Right...” Ciel pulled on Sebastian's reigns and for once the horse immediately responded and stood closer to him.

“Name's Ronald.” The rider said, gesturing to himself with a grin. “I'm racing for G&R. You?”

“Ciel. Phantomhive Riding School.”

“Oh? I thought that place had closed.”

Ciel's face twitched. “No. We're just-- Sebastian!” He yanked on the reigns again, stopping the horse from trying to bite the red chestnut. Apparently Grell was getting on his nerves pretty quickly.

“Hmph. How untamed.”

Ciel looked around to see a tall man in glasses scowling at him.

“Mr. Spears! Please make Grell stop!”

The man marched over and grabbed Grell's reigns, forcing her to settle down. “If this wild horse of yours can't behave with such minor irritations, it certainly won't do to be in a race.”

Ciel was taken aback by the insult. “How dare you! I-”

“No fighting.” Lady Midford stepped in.

“But-”

“You have far better things to do than embarrass yourself.”

Ceil huffed and settled down. Over his head, Francis and William Spears glowered at each other, before she turned away from him. With a proper look at her, Ciel realised her expression was tense. He followed her gaze to where Lizzy was stood with Paula. What he saw took him by surprise.

Her eyes were misty, lips turned down. She'd tucked herself against her horse, keeping out of sight, as though hiding. After a beat he realised exactly what she was looking at.

Across the room stood what was unmistakably a Midford horse. He was certain, because it was a specific breed Francis used to poster their work. Its shiny coat and glossy blonde mane stood out in the brown wooden room.

“Edward,” Francis explained.

Ciel's brow furrowed. The name was familiar. It clicked. “Lizzy's horse?” He had memory of Lizzy receiving the foal and dancing around it in delight.

“Unfortunately no longer. It belongs to Weston Equestrian Academy now. Though the rider seems... Incompetent.”

Ciel had to agree. The small boy stood beside the beautiful steed looked nervous and very much out of place. He was almost invisible next to the imposing man beside him, with dark hair tucked back and a cape over his shoulders.

“Lady Midford,” the man greeted, if it could be called that.

“Johann Agares. Still standing are you? I expected you to have been flattened by now.” Her tone was strained with bitterness.

“A broken horse can be broken again,” he responded, gesturing to Edward. “How will it feel to lose to your own creation?”

“I will never know,” she replied, “given its rider is a lesser quality.”

The young boy looked mortified.

“McMillan is enough. Certainly against your own.” His gaze slid to where Lizzy was half cowering.

“Lizzy! Come here.”

She obeyed her mother immediately and scuttled over, putting herself between Francis and Ciel for protection. “How nice to see you again, Mr. Agares,” she greeted glumly.

“Likewise.” His tone was emotionless. “What is this one for?” He looked to Ciel.

Unable to bite his tongue, he scoffed back. “For? I am for first place, what else?” He replied.

Johann Agares' eyes drifted over Ciel's head. “On that?”

Ciel turned to watch Sebastian pull the rope from the post and immediately start walking away. “H-hey!”

Sebastian began to run, zooming past a boy in vibrant clothing on a tall brown horse with a white mane who burst out laughing. He dodged around a white horse with a rather under-dressed looking rider, catching the curly whisps of its tail on the way past. Before reaching the door, however, he came to a skidding halt before crashing into Ran Mo, who straddled on a large handsome grey horse.

Lau stepped out behind, mild as ever. “Master Phantomhive, you must be careful.”

Sebastian huffed and turned away, scuffing the ground.

“Sebastian, don't you dare show me up like this,” Ciel began, furious he'd not brought enough snacks to placate the beast.

“You show up only yourself. Such stray creatures don't deserve a place here. If a horse cannot learn it must be beaten until it behaves.” With this, William Spears pulled a horsewhip from his belt and raised it.

“Don't you dare!” Ciel ran to grab Sebastian's reigns and tug on them, desperate to keep the restless black horse from getting into more trouble.

“You bring a wild animal into here, you face the consequence!”

“Enough!”

They all turned at the shout. Stood in the doorway was a short elderly woman in a black dress.

“Victoria!”

Ciel's pride had taken too much of a hit. Thankfully Sebastian had behaved long enough for them to register, though had been unhappy for the inspection. He'd been completely shown up, even in front of riders who seemed totally beneath him. And worse, shown up Lady Midford.

He was thankful for Lau, who had kept him company and chatted idly while they were there. Ran Mao had dismounted from her steed, Ra Men, to join Lizzy. Though neither spoke much, it was clear the latter was much brightened by her company. Ciel felt a twinge of guilt for not doing more.

He dragged Sebastian to the field and kicked the fence to alleviate his fury. It only hurt his foot. Impatiently he marched back to the house, retrieved a new apple, then marched back to where Sebastian was already wandering off.

“Hey!”

Sebastian stopped and begrusdgingly let Ciel climb onto his back.

“Okay, go!”

Sebastian huffed.

Ciel tossed an apple slice and Sebastian trotted over to it, then munched it off the floor.

“Okay, go!” He kicked the steed's sides.

Sebastian wandered slowly.

“Fast!” He kicked again.

Sebastian stopped.

“Must you be this way? Am I no more than a fly on your back? Go!” Ciel slapped Sebastian's side.

As though to make a point, Sebastian bolted at top speed, nearly throwing Ciel off. His rider had to hold on with all his might while being bounced and tossed around, totally out of control.

“Wait! Sebastian! Stop!”

Sebastian stopped. The momentum carried Ciel forwards, sliding down Sebastian's dipped neck, and threw him heavily onto the ground.

He groaned in pain.

Sebastian found the apple slices that had fallen from his rider's pocket and began to eat them.

“Would you like a little help?”

Ciel lifted his head to see Lizzy smiling at him sympathetically.

“He's awful.”

“He's just stubborn. You'll get it, don't worry.” She held a hand down for him and helped him up. “Paula was a really shy horse when I first got her, so she didn't respond well either. If you've got this far with Sebastian, I'm certain you'll be able to ride him easily.”

Ciel gave her a wary look. “You're lying.”

“I'm not!” She lied brightly. “But I do have a teensy bit of advice, if you'll take it.”

“I suppose I could do with the pointers,” he grumbled.

“Great!” She clapped her hands together. “Let's begin Lizzy's Riding Lessons 101!”


	4. The Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite what you may think, this fanfic is still about horses.

Lizzie's classes were surprisingly gruelling, especially given Sebastian didn't even want to be trained in the first place. Much stolen fruit, bruises and patience later, Ciel could successfully stay on Sebastian's back as long as he liked and guide him around the paddock. The steed still had no intention to run for him unless presented with the promise of an apple slice at the end – something Lizzy did not think would be an option at the race, despite Ciel's nefarious plans (which she shut down).

Despite their attitudes towards each other, Sebastian was tolerating Ciel a lot more. Maybe it was the food he kept bringing, or that the horse had developed a sense of pity for how truly bad the teen was at doing anything remotely physical, but he had no more intentions of bucking or running away. But now, Sebastian and Ciel were just at a beginning stage, and everyone else was far ahead of them.

But Ciel didn't worry. Sebastian would win the race – if only he could get him to run on command.

When he did run, he was as fast as the wind itself. Ciel had managed once to hold on tight without being thrown off by the sudden acceleration, and it was as though he had positioned himself in a storm. Wind crashed across him, tearing at his clothing, the sound of hoof beats drumming on his ears. Unrestrained, Sebastian was a black thundercloud tearing across the landscape.

Ciel only wished he could somehow nail his appendages to the horse's sides. After that day he'd had blisters on his palms from gripping the reigns so hard. Even his legs had been battered and bruised, unable to keep up with the steed's pace.

He had to admit to himself, he'd happily never be able to ride again if it meant he could claim first place at the race, and restore the reputation of the Phantomhive Riding School.

He'd already taken the time to assess the opposition. They'd already first-hand encountered the rider from G&R, Ronald Knox, who's fiery horse Grell wouldn't give Sebastian any peace. Ciel's brow twitched as he recalled the ridiculous encounter. _How could anyone keep such an undisciplined horse,_ he thought, without a hint of irony. _That William Spears guy, he has quite a nerve to address me like that!_ At the thought of the tall, stern man's face, Ciel's expression soured. It wouldn't be enough just to beat those guys, he had to ensure they were left in the dust!

The rest were a complicated matter. He knew Lau didn't worry too much about winning or loosing, but that didn't simplify things at all, especially if Ran Mao considered Lizzy her main rival for this – the two girls would train hard and want to impress the other at the race. And then what of the other competitors?

Ciel had only caught a glimpse of the prince, who was unlike anything he'd expected. Prince Soma of Royal Kadar Equestrian held none of the posture or composure Ciel expected, and had laughed without any restraint or worry while Ciel was publicly embarrassed. The white-maned steed beneath him in comparison was statuesque. Lau had done some research for them, and found that the Prince's father, King Raja Kadar of Bengal, owned the riding school and was responsible for Prince Soma's entry to the race. However, the king had not been present at registration. Further research uncovered that the prince had many siblings, a number of which had all entered into different races across the globe. Prince Soma might not just be competing against those in the race, but against his own family too!

This posed a pretty heavy threat to Ciel's plans. In the grand scheme of things, Phantomhive Riding School may seem somewhat insignificant to a royal's battle for his father's pride. But, Ciel reasoned, he was no royal of this country, and so he had no qualms crushing his hopes to dust!

The last two he still had yet to untangle.

Noah's Arc Stables had been a surprising entry. They usually trained stunt and performance horses, ones that danced or jumped through hoops or were used for plays. Lau had worked with them before, given their similar lines of business, but didn't have much useful outside of that. The Rider was called Freckles, and the stables were owned by a man named Jo Taylor.

And then there was Weston Equestrian Academy. These were most likely to be the thorn in Ciel's side. The rider, McMillan, had one of the Midford horses. Under Johann Agares' tuition, he must no doubt be an excellent racer. The only saving grace Ciel had, was that McMillan himself had never won a trophy before, and this was likely his first race. With such pressure and competition, maybe the nerves could take him out before he even reached the track!

But that was only wishful thinking.

These thoughts circled around Ciel's head as he trained under Lizzy's direction for the next few weeks. Only days before the race did it even look like they were making any serious progress. Ciel had just finished a circuit with Sebastian, intermittently convincing him to move faster until the black horse got bored of it once more, when he came back to the stables to find everyone rushing around in a panic. He stopped to watch Snake return Paula to her stable as swiftly as possible while Finny stuffed the saddle and reigns back into their place.

“What's happened here?” He asked, leading a nervous Sebastian to the water trough.

“It's Miss Lizzy,” Finny replied, voice high pitched. “She's hurt!”

Ciel's eyes widened. “What?”

“She was out riding, I dunno what happened, but Paula got all startled! She fell right off, her leg's- Master Phantomhive!”

Ciel had already taken off at a sprint, ignoring how tired he felt. He ripped his riding helmet off as he entered the Midford House and tossed it aside. Mey Rin, who had been carefully carrying a basin of steaming water and wet flannels, panicked and let go of everything to catch the airborn helmet. The basin crashed to the ground, hot water splashing everywhere in a cacophony of noise. Before the water even slapped down onto the hard wood flooring, Ciel was already tearing his way up the staircase.

Lizzy lay on her bed, teeth grit in pain as Baldroy bound her swollen leg to a splint. The usually grinning man had a serious, grim expression on his face, and for the first time since arriving, Ciel fully recognised him as a soldier. Lizzy could just have easily been a war victim to him, her hemlet hair ragged and muddy grass stains all up her side. Lady Midford sat at her side, a pained and worried expression on her usually stern face.

When Ciel entered Lizzy looked up, eyes unfocused. “Mey Rin?”

“It's me.” He hurried to her side and crouched. “Are you okay? How bad is it?”  
Lizzy made a noise that may have been pain from her leg, or dismay at Ciel's presence. “Where is Mey Rin?”

“Downstairs, I ran past her.”

“She said she would help me clean up before you got back!”

Ciel recalled the spilled basin of water and immediately felt guilty.

“Bigger things t'worry about, miss,” Baldroy interrupted, voice gruff.

“How is she?”

“Bone fracture. Nothin' that'll last, but she needs to rest. No runnin' about nor ridin'.”

“No riding?” Ciel's eyes widened even further, if they could, and he looked to Lady Midford. “The race is only a week from now!”

“I'm fully aware,” Fancis replied, her voice a little wobbly, “but Lizzy will not be competing.”

“Mother!” Lizzy protested, her eyes wet with tears. “Please! I can still race!”

“Absolutely not.” Francis' voice was more tender than firm. “You'll stay off horseback until a professional medic says otherwise.”

“But the race-”

“I couldn't care less about such a silly thing!” Her voice was sharp, like a slap.

Lizzy's eyes watered over.

“I'm going to look for that useless maid. Baldroy, go fetch something for Lizzy. She needs something to restore her strength.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Francis stood up without another word and left in a hurry. Ciel caught sight of her eyes glistening. Baldroy gave them both a heavy shrug and finished what he was doing before positioning Lizzy's leg on a cushion and leaving.

“Lizzy...” Ciel didn't know what to say.

He didn't have a chance to find the words. At his side, Lizzy hiccuped a few times as her eyes continued to spill over, and then it was too much. She wept with pain, from her injury and from her failure.

Lau and Ran Mao came to visit, armed with a hamper of imported Chinese sweet treats and a get-well bouquet. Without speaking a word to anyone else, Ran Mao took herself to Lizzy's room, leaving Lau with Ciel.

“What an unexpected change,” the older mused over a cup up black tea. His usual mild smile had been replaced with something much more troubled.

“You seem especially affected by this,” Ciel observed.

“Less that I, personally, am hurt by the young lady's injury. It is more that I have reason to believe it was not simply a mere accident.”

Ciel's blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”

Lau fixed him with a clear, steady gaze which Ciel hadn't since since his parents' passing, coal pupils seeing more than anyone could understand. “Ran Mao considered Lizzy to be her rival for good reason. You didn't give yourself much of a good impression at the registration, but it is no secret to anyone that the Midford horses are some of the best around. Three of them in the race... That's quite something to consider.”

Ciel didn't respond, feeling a sickness inside him.

“One of them is being ridden by a boy with no credits to his name, though he is from a very highly esteemed academy. Another,” Lau's lip pulled into a smirk, “is untamed, and being ridden by a boy with no skills at handling it.”

Ciel opened his mouth to protest, but Lau cut him off.

“The third, young master, is being ridden not only by the daughter of it's very breeder, someone who understands the steed down to every cell of its body, but by a one who has grown up on the back of a horse from a line of horse riders, living on the land of a riding school. Even without a formal credit to her name, the young lady Elizabeth makes for quite a formidable opponent.”

Ciel grit his teeth. “But that- there's no proof.”

“Hm? Perhaps not. But what proof would there be, other than... The unusual change in the mare's personality? Unlike you, I believe the young lady is not one for chasing temperamental beasts, nor is she likely to make some mistake and upset it. I'm not accusing anyone, but I am also not discounting the possibility of sabotage.”

Ciel nearly broke the handle off his cup.

They stayed in stiff silence, Lau sipping his tea while Ciel bubbled with anger. Francis joined them only for a minute, her usually stern and collected appearance now slightly dishevelled with stress. “Lizzy wants you up there,” she said.

“I suppose the two of us are overstaying,” Lau remarked. “Ciel, please sent Ran Mao down for me?”

Ciel nodded and made his way upstairs. When he reached Lizzy's bedroom, he found them clutching each other's hands, giving eachother intense expressions. A nervousness tugged his insides.

“You'll still ride the same, won't you?” Lizzy asked earnestly, “as though I really were out there on the track?”

Ran Mao nodded.

Realising this was still just about their rivalry, Ciel felt a little relief. Then embarrassment. He coughed in the doorway.

“Ciel!” Lizzy sat up, excited to see him, then cringed in pain. She'd been given medicine to cope, but it wasn't enough.

“Lie back down,” he insisted, hurrying to the seat at her side. “Ran Mao, Lau wants you to join him downstairs again.”

The older girl nodded and stood, giving Lizzy's hand a squeeze.

“You will visit me again, won't you?”  
Ran Mao nodded once more, then began to leave. She paused and turned to Ciel. Her expression had totally changed, eyes glowing in darkness. “Do not lose,” she told him.

A shiver went down his back.

She left as though nothing had happened.

“How scary,” he mumbled.

“I don't think so,” Lizzy said with a quiet voice.

“Hm?”

“I think- I think she's absolutely right!” Lizzy had turned to him, brows furrowed. “Ciel, you really must lose. If I can't be in this race, well- well that's just unfortunate. But you? Ciel, you're now mother's only representative. You really- you really cannot lose!”

He blinked at the sudden outburst. “Lizzy, you know I don't intend to.”

“Intentions aren't always outcomes.” She settled back down and stared at the ceiling. “Edward was my horse once.”

“What?” The change of subject threw him.

“Edward! The horse you'll be up against. Racing for WEA. He was my horse!”

“I- I don't understand. Why does this McMillan boy have your horse?”

“Because we fell into debt!” Lizzy's eyes were wet again once more, bitterness welling inside her. “He was mother's finest steed, and she gave him to me. I rode him all through my childhood. He was the model for mother's business. But- but we hit hard times, after...”

She trailed off, but Ciel understood. After his parents passed.

“We had to sell him. None of the others are worth quite as much. He, alongside a few more sales, lifted us out of the red. But I've never been able to get over it. I love Paula, I truly do. She's a wonderful horse and she's been a good a companion as a racer. But Edward...” Her voice cracked. “He was family to me.”

Unsure how to respond, Ciel reached out and held Lizzy's hand. She curled her fingers around his.

“I didn't think I'd see him again, let alone race against him. So, maybe, this is better after all.” Her voice had become small.

“Don't say such a thing. You could have-”

“It doesn't matter what I could have done!” She turned to look at him once more. The tenderness in her eyes had gone, replaced with something fiery. “Ciel, you must promise me something!”

He blinked, taken aback. “What?”

Her hand crushed his in her tight grip. “Whatever you do, you simply _must_ win against that fool riding Edward, do you understand? You cannot lose to him no matter what!”

“Y-yes!” Her eyes made him nervous.

“Ciel! Promise me!”

“I promise I will win!”

“Good.” The fire was still there. “Don't fail me, Ciel Phantomhive, or I will never forgive you!”


	5. What You Believe In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for a late chapter, I nearly didn't post this week but I knew that all neight (eight in horse) of my beloved readers would be utterly lost without their weekly dose of something that is nostalgic in all the most discomforting of ways.

Ciel trained like a possessed being, his fire so strong even Sebastian gave him no issues. In fact, it seemed the steed himself was aware of the pressure on the young master's shoulders and became an unstoppable force cantering towards their goal. Even at night, one could catch a glimpse of the boy in the cloak as he cut through the dark on his steed cast of shadows.

Stopping safely was still an issue, and twice Ciel had slipped off over Sebastian's head and tumbled down the hill.

The day before the race came and a call for the horses to be gathered in the stables had Ciel, Lizzy, Francis and Snake (who wanted to ensure Sebastian's proper care) all piled into the carriage. Lizzy had chosen to wear a long, puffy skirt to disguise her splinted leg, resulting in Ciel being squashed against the carriage window facing Snake. Ciel hadn't spoken much to the horse carer, and so wasn't sure how to address him, but it ended up not being an issue as the entire ride Snake didn't speak a single word. Instead, Francis sternly reminded Ciel of all his shortcomings and what he needed to do to improve them.

Snake gazed out the window as though he were somewhere far away. His hair had been brushed further over his face and a scarf around his neck and jaw, hiding his skin condition.

Ciel didn't know much about the staff as a whole, none of them liked to talk about it. They were all pretty happy about their life at the Midford House, even when Lady Midford scolded them. Mey Rin was jumpy, probably from some instinct leftover from her criminal background, but surprisingly calm when Baldroy blew something up. Ciel had worked out that the ex-soldier had mutual friends with the Lord Midford, who was currently away on business, and his current position as chef was a favour to said friend. Finny had just appeared sleeping in the stables one day, naked, mute and petrified, and had been kept a secret by Snake and Lizzy until Francis found out, and by then it was far too late to attempt to remove him. Snake himself was the only member of staff who had legitimately applied for a job and been formally accepted. He had some background in show animals, but Lizzy wasn't sure of the details because he never spoke and her mother didn't care to disclose it. Other than that, Ciel hadn't cared to dig deeper.

They arrived at the racecourse stables and some sable hands came hurrying out to take them to where their horse would be kept. Sebastian thoroughly refused to be handled by anyone other than Ciel, so the teenager had to pull him along while providing support for Lizzy as they followed the stable hands to their post. Francis followed at their side while Snake trailed up behind, looking around with a critical eye.

He didn't make any obvious sign of disapproval, so Ciel could only assume he was fine with it.

They reached their post and tied Sebastian to the hook while some official member of staff jotted down some details on a clipboard. Ciel let Francis handle all that side of things while he smoothed Sebastian's muzzle, making sure he didn't get irritated at the other surrounding steeds.

“You really mustn't let mother's attitude get to you,” Lizzy said after a moment.

Ciel looked at her, eyebrows raised.

“I'm not saying this flippantly, Ciel. She means well by it. But I'm worried you'll get nervous.”

He breathed out a laugh. “Really, Lizzy, there's nothing to worry about.”

She wasn't convinced. “I know it can be really stressful and scary. But you can do it, Ciel. I wouldn't have put my faith in you otherwise. I know I sometimes come off like I'm being nice for nice's sake, but I really do believe in your skills!”

Ciel's cheeks flushed slightly. “Well... Thank you for your faith in me.”

She smiled, eyes crinkling at the edges.

“My my, no entry from the Midford family?” Mr Agares' voice drawled across the stables.

Ciel and Lizzy both turned to see him stood a short ways off, accompanied by William T. Spears.

“It would seem all the left over competition is rather amateur,” his companion added.

“Not even the house of Midford is safe from simple mistakes,” Mr Agares continued.

“Falling off a horse so easily. You begin to wonder if the breeding is less than ideal.”

Lizzy picked up immediately on the man's double-meaning and her cheeks went a hot red with anger. Ciel reached out to touch her arm, hoping to cool her down before she shouted, but to his surprise, she breathed out and immediately her shoulders dropped. She regained her composure as though nothing had happened, and a sweet smile settled onto her face.

“I suppose I am a little clumsy,” she replied in a light, friendly tone, “but there's really no need to lament for my injury, gentlemen, otherwise you might become too obsessed with the simple mistakes of your own amateurs in the competition.”

Ciel could only admire the way she made grown men go from white to red so quickly. Neither of them had any more to say to her, far too dignified to get themselves into unsightly arguments with teenage girls. God forbid they be asked to leave for being so easily upset by the words of a child in a hair bow. Ciel was starting to think he understood Lizzy a lot more these days.

However, the world had different intentions for them, and in a sudden crack of noise Grell had broken herself free from her post and begun to hastily trot over to where Sebastian was tied. Sebastian immediately got anxious and began to swing his head, trying to free himself. Ronald shouted in dismay, vainly attempting to halt the fiery mare. William T. Spears already had a mortified expression on his face, double embarrassed in a matter of seconds. Ciel gripped Sebastian's reigns and prepared for the worst.

To everyone's shock, Grell was blocked by the body of the white-maned steed that completely cut her off like a wall. Atop sat the prince himself, long dark hair tied back and a huge grin on his face.

“Hey! As funny as it was last time, let's not let anything bad happen. We all need to be in our best shape for tomorrow!”

From what Ciel could tell, Prince Soma's “best shape” included a collection of gold jewellery that he was certain would cause problems while riding. He was about to make a dry comment about it to Lizzy until he realised she was staring at the prince with stars in her eyes. He nudged her and cleared his throat, breaking her out of her daze.

“Phantomhive!”

Ciel looked up to meet the prince's sparkling gaze.

“I heard you've been living alone before your stay with the Midfords.”

Ciel's expression darkened.

“I've been on my own too! Hey, how about you come to my place and we can race each other! I have a really big polo course too, we could play that?” Prince Soma grinned, displaying dazzling white teeth. “The Lady Midford can come too, of course!”

“I don't think-” Ciel began.

“Oh, we'd love to!”

“Excellent! I hope you don't take losing to me too personally. Haha!!” Soma tugged on the reins of his steed. “Come on, Agni, back to your post.”

His horse complied as easily as if it understood speech, and walked directly back to its post.

Ciel gave Sebastian a pointed look, then back at Lizzy with a reproachful look. “Why did you accept?”

“Oh, come on, Ciel. You could do with a few more friends.” She put a hand on his arm gently. “Anyway, I want to see what a prince's house looks like!”

Ciel sighed, just glad the worst of the commotion was over. Across from them, Ronald had managed to get Grell under control, which was a relief. He gave Sebastian a few pieces of apple to soothe him.

Snake had seen the commotion, originally with Francis, Lau and Judge Victoria, and now rushed over to check on things.

“He's fine. Or he will be, as long as that one doesn't bother him,” Ciel explained.

Snake's shoulders dropped slightly, tension falling out of him. He smoothed Sebastian's side, natural as though he had done it a million times. Sebastian showed no sign of being bothered by this.

“Still the horse whisperer, huh?”

They all turned to see one of the youngest competitors in the race. Hair floppy and clothes a little too large, Freckles was looking directly at Snake with a smile.

Snake stiffened.

“I brought Doll with me if you'd like to check on how she's doing. I think she misses you.” Freckles gestured back to where the white horse with the fluffy mane stood, eyeing them with pale eyes.

Snake swallowed, eyes wide with alarm. He turned away, pulled his scarf further up over his face, and left the stable in a hurry.

“Snake, wait!” Freckles moved to run after him, but a hand dropped onto her shoulder. She turned her head to look up.

“Let him go,” said the older man.

Ciel and Lizzy were both taken aback by the sight of the man. They'd caught glimpses of the riders and their tutors before, but this man's vibrant red hair, unusual make-up and extravagant clothing stood him out from others.

“How do you know our Snake?” Lizzy asked, thoroughly confused.

“He used to work with us.” The man looked down at them and smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself, my name's Jo Taylor. The two of us, as you may know, represent Noah's Arc Stables. Some years back Snake used to care for our animals, make sure all the show costumes were safe and comfortable...” His gaze became distant.

“He never mentioned this,” Lizzy said without thinking, then looked embarrassed, “well, he's never said anything.”

“Hah. We called him the horse whisperer because he'd only ever talk to them,” Freckles told her, “Never said a word to us either, but I guess we were all so close it never mattered.” Her gaze drifted off to where Snake had run away.

“But... Why did he leave and come to us then?” Lizzy's head even tilted, more confused.

“You're probably too young to remember the scandal,” Jo Taylor explained, “some years ago our sponsor was revealed to have done some... Very bad things. It was a big shock to all of us. Snake couldn't bear to be associated with that money and left us. I don't blame him. He did what was right for him.”

Ciel frowned. “If what your sponsor did was so scandalous, why did you all stay?”

“Hm, how can I put this?” Jo Taylor adjusted his gloves as he thought. “Sometimes we overlook a person's greatest flaws because of how their virtues shine. The world sees the devil where we saw Prometheus. Unchaining yourself from the anchor of gratitude is not an action done lightly.”

They left soon after, Ciel and Lizzy deep in thought, both trying not to stare at Snake's face on the ride home. They ate their dinner in relative quiet, only Francis' formal tone detailing the importance of a good night's sleep before the race keeping them from silence. Lizzy had her check-up to make sure her leg was still healing well, and Ciel looked out over the paddock and wondered if Sebastian was doing okay at the stables. It was strange not to see that black silhouette on the curve of the hill, a cutout on the orange sky.

He lay awake as the sun went down and the sky went dark and the moon shone through the gap in the curtains. He lay awake as the house settled and creaked until it ran out of settling to do. He stared at the ceiling as his one good eye adjusted so well he may never need to turn the light on again, and could now see every grain in the wood.

His brain went a thousand miles an hour with thoughts. The race had been a distant goal for a month now, and suddenly it was tomorrow. He was less than 10 hours from the gun shot. Sebastian was not a perfectly obedient horse. Everyone else had much more disciplined horses than he – with the only potential exception being Ronald's mare, but it seemed ludicrous that G&R would enter a horse they weren't certain of.

Ciel was the only representative of his entire family legacy and business, AND the Midford family and business. The only way he could win was if Sebastian ran at his full speed.

IF he ran at his full speed.

Ciel's head and chest hurt so much with the thoughts building inside him that he sat up without meaning to and threw himself out of bed, feet pacing around by themselves. He marched around his room once, then pushed his door open and marched down the hall. He should have thought this through better. He'd had a WHOLE MONTH to think this through better. Why did he insist on this race? Why not a later one? Sebastian's undeniable speed aside, why on Earth did he think himself so capable of controlling such a beast that he could win without any doubt?

His heart sank when he found himself at the bottom of the stairs. He realised that deep, deep down he had expected Lizzy to win. He assumed Lizzy would win for him, and he would come in second, and together they'd take all the glory back. But the pressure wouldn't be all on him, and he could rely on Lizzy to have her unwavering support, skill and confidence to breeze them both through to their wins.

He hadn't really believed he could win all by himself.

He dragged himself to the kitchen, thinking he'd chug some tea and try to sleep again. Before he even stepped inside, he noticed candlelight gently illuminating the room. Expecting Baldroy to be up to something, he peeked in to make sure it was nothing dangerous. Instead, he saw Lizzy in her nightgown tucked up on a stool like a small child, clutching a steaming cup.

“Lizzy?” He whispered.

She jumped and looked around, raising the candle from the table. “Ciel?” She whispered back, shocked.

“Sorry if I scared you. I didn't expect to see you here.” He walked in and pulled himself up to sit on the countertop beside her. “Why are you awake?”

She smiled at him gently, raking her fingers through her hair so it was less messy. “My leg hurts a little too much to sleep. What about you? You need to be well-rested!”

“Hm.” He looked down. “I'm not in the mood to sleep.” After a pause, he realised she was looking at him and he raised his head to meet her concerned gaze.

“Is it stress?”

“Ah... I wouldn't put it like that. Really, no. Don't worry about it.”

“Ciel,” her brow furrowed, “it's okay to be stressed. It really is. This isn't something easily done. There's nothing bad about being worried.”

“I'm not... It doesn't matter anyway. After all, I'm going to win anyway so there's no need to worry. I'm winning for you, remember?” He gave her a strained smile.

She looked at him, large pale eyes shining in the candlelight. Unexpectedly, she put a handout and settled it on his. “Ciel, when I make you promise, it wasn't a challenge. I really did and still do believe that you can win this. Unquestionably. I wouldn't have put that on you if I didn't think this was completely within your ability. But...” She squeezed his hand. “If it's weighing on you, I take it back. You don't need to win for me, or even for you. Like Lau and Mey Rin are doing, it's okay just to compete to show that you're here.”

Ciel was thankful for the darkness because his face was very warm. “Really, Lizzy, there's no need...”

“But there is. You heard those two talking at the stables, how did they even know I'd been hurt. We didn't tell anyone except Lau, and he's not been gossiping to them. The race is already against you, Ciel, don't worry about being first when people are already tipping it in their favour. Just worry about getting through it at your best.”

He listened to her talk and felt something strange go through him, like both resignation and indignation. He made his mind up before she finished speaking. “Lizzy. What happened to believing in me?” He gave her a small grin. “If they're going to tilt things in their favour, then I'm going to win no matter what, and show them that there's nothing they can do to stop me.”

She grinned back, brighter than the candle. “There he is! Thin that way all the time, and I promise it won't be as scary. In the end, isn't this just a horse race? You've got this.”

He laughed. “Yeah. Thanks for grounding me.”

“Here.” She lifted the teapot and filled a cup, then handed it over. “For your nerves.”

He took it and had a sip. The warm, bitter flavour unwound the knots in his muscles.

When he finally retired to bed, he fell asleep almost as soon as he hit the pillow.

His dreams were filled with strange images. Sebastian had turned into a man with ink-black hair and red eyes, blunt teeth sharpening to spikes. The beats of crows feathers surrounded him, the clicks of heels on tile echoing. Ciel turned over to see a twisting sky of embers and smoke cut by iron bars. “I need to win!” He called into the darkness, the man responded, “Yes, my lord.”


	6. Black Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No horses were harmed in the making of this fanfic. Instead, the author was thrown to the ground and whipped repeatedly.

Ciel did not get the sleep he needed, and his ideal stress-free morning before the race absolutely refused to happen. His official racer uniform didn't quite fit him, and he put the jodhpurs on backwards twice. Lizzie's painkillers didn't kick in fast enough and she struggled to stomach any of her breakfast, let alone be strong enough to stand on her one good leg. All of the staff were frantic and double-checking everything would be safe to leave for the few hours that the race event was on. Ciel himself was biting his tongue to prevent saying something rude while Francis gave him the sternest pep talk he'd ever received.

They arrived at the racecourse. Lizzy gave Ciel a tight hug, squeezing him enough to push the air from his lungs. Then they were separated, the others to the stands and him alone to the stables. His legs wobbled a little and he had to stand by the doorway, breathing deeply until he could hold himself up properly.

“Need some water?” A friendly voice asked.

He turned to see Freckles, dressed up neatly for once in her racing uniform, holding out a bottle. “Is it poisoned?” He asked suspiciously.

She blinked. “This is a regional youth horse racing competition, not a war zone.”

“It feels like it is.”

“That's silly.” She opened the bottle and held it to him. “Here, just a mouthful, it'll help you.”

He felt a tingle of embarrassment crawl up his neck, but accepted the offer. He wasn't dehydrated, but the mouthful of water did help to ground him a bit.

“First race?”

“First with this much pressure.”

She nodded. “I think we're all dealing with the same thing. Have a look.” She gestured her head into the stable.

He took a few steps to peer in.

Immediately he could see McMillan, who looked the worst. His helmet was shaking in his hands, a little green tinge to his flushed cheeks. With a bit of prodding, he'd probably be sick.

“It's definitely his first race,” Freckles told Ciel.

“Why is he representing Weston Equestrian then? They have plenty of talented riders.”

She shrugged. “They've all got to start somewhere, right? Their ten-time gold medalists are probably doing international races by now. If they're entering him, they must think he has something.”

Ciel looked at the nervous boy and had trouble believing it. But then, perhaps people looked at him and had trouble believing the same thing.

“Why aren't you nervous?” He asked, a little put-out by her calm attitude.

“I am.” She smiled, a little awkward, “but I'm used to being nervous. Most of what I do is in front of a crowd.”

He nodded. Of course, a show horse rider would have no trouble with pre-race anxiety. There was no reason for her to be a wreck. Bitter jealousy welled in him – or maybe it was more nausea.

Looking around again, he now caught sight of the prince. Unusually, Prince Soma wasn't laughing or running about, he was silently brushing Agni's mane with a serious expression. It was the first time Ciel had seen the older boy look remotely regal or capable of being a prince. If anyone was under the serious scrutiny of the audience, it was this guy.

For the first time, Ciel felt a little bit of sympathy for him. But not enough to root for him at all.

He handed Freckles her bottle back with a mumbled thanks, then made his way to Sebastian. The black horse stood silent and still like a shadow, dark eyes boring into Ciel's skull.

“Don't give me that look,” he grumbled.

Sebastian snorted onto his face.

“It's not my fault they lined you up like this.”

He knew that Sebastian had spent the entire night face to face with the red mare, and had likely not enjoyed a moment of it. Thankfully, when he glanced back, he could see that Ronald had kept Grell under control. Maybe the horses also knew how important the race was. Even though the racers may not seem like the toughest competition on the surface, every single one of them was chosen to represent their school for being the best talent they had. All of them had something to prove.

“Everyone, it's time. Bring your horses this way, we'll line you up at the start of the course.”

Two men stood at the far end of the stables, dressed in formal white that matched their pale hair One was tall with a stern look about him while the other had long hair and a more friendly expression. Charles Phipps and Charles Grey, the heads of staff.

“Please follow after Mr. Phipps here,” Charles Grey said, gesturing as the taller began to walk away.

Each of the riders took their horses by the reins and began to walk out in single file. Ciel tugged on Sebastian and was met with resistance. He looked up at the black horse's face.

“Sebastian.” His voice shook a little.

Sebastian's ears twitched, but he didn't move.

Ciel cleared his throat, stood a little taller, and fixed the hose with a look. “Sebastian. Let's go.”

Sebastian held his gaze for a moment, then obediently followed. They joined the end of the line of riders leaving the stable.

“Ciel!”

He jumped and looked around. Lizzy was huddled against the wall, leaning heavily on her new ornate walking stick. She beamed at him from her “hiding” place.

“Lizzy?” He fought to keep his voice down. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to wish you good luck!”

“You're not allowed to be here!”

“I know.” She grinned wider. “But I had to see you before the race started. Otherwise, you'll get stuck in your head and work yourself up.”

He flushed. She knew him too well.

“You can do this, I believe in you!” She gave him a thumbs up. “Just focus on not falling off Sebastian and I promise it'll be fine!”

His brow twitched. “I'm not going to fall off.”

“That's the spirit!”

He sighed but smiled anyway. “Thanks, Lizzy.”

She looked pleased with herself.

“Lizzy.”

Ciel and Lizzy tuned to see Ran Mao in the line behind him, loosely holding Ra Men's reins. Her gaze was fixed on Lizzy.

“You better do well, too,” Lizzy told her. “Remember, if I was out there I'd always be one step ahead of Ciel, so if you want to win and beat me, you'll have to be two steps ahead of him!”

Ran Mao snorted a laugh. “No problem.”

“Do your best!”

Ran Mao nodded and the two girls reached out, gripping each other's hands firmly. Ciel watched them have a silent conversation, feeling another wave of nerves.

“Both of you, we'll be cheering as loud as we can!” Lizzy gave them both one last smile, then scurried away on her stick.

Ciel sighed.

“Come along, don't hang around,” Charles Grey called, encouraging them to go through.

Ciel and Ran Mao continued on until Charles Phipps split them up, putting Ciel on one side of the lineup and Ran Mao on the other. He was next to McMillan, who had gone so pale Ciel wondered if he was about to pass out. Next to him was Ronald, then Freckles, then Prince Soma. All of them dressed in their racing attire looked far more reasonable than they had all been when they first met.

With a gesture, they were all told to mount their horses. Ciel pulled himself up, sweaty palms sliding on the saddle until he was able to pull himself up. He couldn't quite get himself comfortable on the seat.

He looked forwards at the long, open race track. It stretched out indefinitely.

Just as he began to sink into himself, he caught sight of Lizzy waving frantically from the stands. The staff of the Midford house were all with her, excitedly joining in. Even Francis was waving, Lau at her side with a big smile on his face.

Ciel felt the nerves seep out of him slowly, breathing out. He felt Sebastian shuffle beneath him, a deep grunt escaping the large steed. He wondered if all their work was about to come to nothing.

“Get yourselves prepared!”

The line of riders straightened up on their saddles. Ciel's knee jittered and he forced himself to sit still. At his side, McMillan was starting to hyperventilate until he began aggressively doing breathing circles. Someone was mumbling to themselves, but quiet enough for Ciel to slowly block it out. They pulled their helmets on, an echo of clips following.

“On your marks!”

Ciel gripped Sebastian's reins, stomach turning itself over.

“Get set!”

His knees shakily pressed onto his steed's sides.

“Go!”

The gunshot split his ears and the doors swung open! The canter of hooves filled the air as the other horses charged forwards, chasing towards the finish line. Sebastian...

Trotted.

Someone in the audience let out a loud laugh, and Ciel felt his stomach fall out of his ass.

Sebastian lightly followed after the other horses like he'd noticed a nice bit of grass to eat. Ciel died a public death on the back of a pookah.

“Sebastian!” He hissed, furious.

The horse whinnied back.

“Run!” He kicked his sides.

Sebastian made a disgruntled sound.

“What is this? We've worked so hard!” His voice cracked.

Sebastian glanced back at him, the dark eye seeing through his angry façade.

Ciel gulped and closed his eyes, then took a breath. He grounded himself. He remembered Lizzy's training. The horse responds to the rider. Nervousness is contagious. Stress causes stress. A horse won't listen to a weak command. “Sebastian.” He opened his eyes, one good one holding the horse's gaze. “I order you to win this race – now!”

Like a gunshot, Sebastian took off.

Ciel held on for dear life as Sebastian shot towards the other racers, catching up like he was just ripping away the ground between them. They reached Freckles, who stared in shock as Sebastian came up beside Doll, then steadily took over. Ciel only caught sight of her mouth 'what?' before they'd passed her and she was out of their sight.

Then they came up to Ronald, who was so intent on trying to pick up speed that he didn't notice Ciel creeping up behind. Sebastian didn't pay Grell any mind, but he did release a loud grunt that startled the red mare, causing her to swerve a few feet away and making Ronald fall back out of Ciel's sight. With two behind and three ahead, Sebastian did not seem like he intended to slow down at all.

They reached Ran Mao, who looked at them with raised brows. Ciel gave her a quick grin, which she returned, before he overtook. Ahead, Prince Soma and McMillan were neck and neck, the prince's black hair flying out from beneath his helmet. In action, Ciel could see why McMillan had been picked. His body was tensed and flat against Edward's back. Where Prince Soma and Agni had raw horsepower, McMillan and Edward had wind resistance.

But Ciel had both. Pressed low behind Sebastian's head, the dark horse tore his way between them like a shadow swinging in front of them beneath a street light. McMillan's eyes widened, totally taken off guard. Prince Soma's face was set and determined, but on catching sight of Ciel pulling up between them he gave him an impressed look. Sebastian hovered between them for some time until they rounded a corner and he squeezed out between them, a wet soap bar between hands.

Ciel at this point was just begging not to fall off the back. They were alone on the track now, pulling ahead of everyone. Ciel could see the finish line, but he was far more concerned about not tumbling off and braining himself than he was about winning.

Just as he thought he could close his eyes and pray until it was over, he heard the beating of hooves to his side. He opened his eyes to look over and saw Ran Mao catching right up to him, a fire in her eyes. They looked at each other, Sebastian and Ra Men neck and neck.

“One step,” Ran Mao mouthed.

He understood and grinned. “Two steps.” With a kick to Sebastian's side, the horse put on a serious burst of speed, hooves pounding the ground. Ciel clutched the reins, pressed down low and breath held.

He heard a roar from the crowd and a flag cut through his vision. They had crossed the line-

And Sebastian was still going!

Ciel yanked on the reins. “Sebastian! Stop! Stoooop!!!”

Sebastian stopped.

Ciel slid forwards, all the way over Sebastian's head, and landed in the grass. The wind was knocked out of him.

He groaned on the floor, helmet askew. Sebastian sniffed his pockets, looking for snacks.

Some staff came hurrying over, pulling him up and checking him for damages. Ciel waved them off and brushed himself down, bruised and aching. The rest had hurried over now, the two Charleses doublechecking he wasn't about to drop over and die before grabbing his wrist and throwing his hand in the air.

“Our winner! Ciel Phantomhive!”

Ciel was still dazed and collecting himself. A large ribbon was pinned to his front, and somewhere someone else was trying to round up the now wild Sebastian. The other racers were pulling in, just trying to make good time.

They were all ushered aside so Ciel could be given water and collect himself, and all the riders could have the chance to dismount and their steeds be taken back to the stables. Ciel idly watched Sebastian being herded around the track.

“Offer him an apple, he'll go,” he said, gesturing to the black horse.

“I'll pass that on,” Charles Grey said, then sent off another person to handle it.

“I think I might pass out now.”

“Sorry?”

Ciel fainted.

When he came to, it had only been about ten minutes, but the whole Midford house had made their way to him. Baldroy tossed water over his face, after he'd woken up, soaking his eyepatch. He glowered at the chef.

“He's awake.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his face dry with his sleeve.

“Ciel! You won!” Lizzy pulled him into another rib-crushing hug.

“Ah-- thank you.” He patted her shoulder.

“Good work.” Francis gave him a nod.

He found himself smiling.

“You kept three steps ahead.”

He looked up to see Ran Mao.

“I had to, didn't I?”  
She nodded, grinning.

They helped him up and sorted him out. Ciel was taken aside for a photo op with his medal and ribbon. He was still getting himself together and was sure he was going to look startled and half-dead in the photo. Lizzy did her best to fix his helmet hair and straighten him out, but there could only be so much done with his petrified complexion.

There was a short series of questions asked for the paper. Ciel had rehearsed his lines well enough to market both the Midford business as well as the Phantomhive riding school. He was so on autopilot that the journalist was impressed by the collected, calm posture of the race winner.

He finally pulled himself together, politely accepting all the congratulations the other riders gave him. Prince Soma shook him about in excitement, delighted to witness such incredible riding. Ciel didn't know if it was worth explaining that he just sat there while Sebastian did all the work. Somewhere Finny was reenacting them crossing the line.

When they settled down, a tall man approached Ciel and introduced himself as Mr. Undertake.

“Quite a horse you have there.” He gestured to where Sebastian had finally been tempted away back into the stables.

“Yes. He's a Midford breed.”

“Aha, of course.” Mr. Undertake grinned, tapping his chin. “I'm interested in buying him from you. Quite a specimen of a horse shouldn't be wasted.”

Ciel blinked. “He's not for sale.”

“Oh?” The man tilted his head, long grey hair shifting across his face. “I can offer quite a bit of money.”

“Sorry.” Ciel adjusted the pin on his chest. “I'm afraid he's mine.”

“Hmm.” The older man considered this for a long moment then nodded. “How unfortunate, but if the young master wishes it...” He shrugged. “Tell me, how did you achieve such a speed? Your horse was no doubt inspected, so it can't have been steroids. Was it something you fed him, or something else sneaked in?”

Ciel let out a laugh, amazed at the audacity to suggest he'd used an enhancer. “Not at all.”

“Then what?”

Ciel smirked. “He is simply one hell of a horse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. This was definitely a Black Butler fan fiction about horse riding.


End file.
